The Kids
by chicgeekitten
Summary: Glee AU: Sam and his gang dominate the halls of McKinley. Thick as thieves, they've always stuck together but as they've grown older, real life and love woes are slowly tearing them apart
1. Meet Sam, Artie, and Quinn

_**Hey guys! I'm slowly updating and adding a new fic! yay! Hope you guys enjoy! If you do, I'll continue this! **_

Artie felt his heart sank as Sam continued to describe the girl of his dreams. Even his worst nightmare wouldn't match up to how this felt. Before Sam could say the name of the girl he had been talking about, Artie parted his lips slowly and held up his hands. "No need. I know who you're talking about." He tried to look playful. Sam's words wouldn't and couldn't hurt him. He was his best friend after all. "Are you telling her?" his voice cracked as he picked up his fork and began to separate the string beans on his tray from the fish and cheese. He hated Fishy Fridays and now he officially hated them even more. Resting his cheek on his fist, his eyes remained fixated on the small piece of vegetable that resembled Ryan Seacrest. He wondered if this was the inspiration behind Quinn's tattoo and slowly but surely his mind wandered to Quinn's raspy voice against the shell of his ear and for a split second, everything was okay. Until Sam spoke again.

"Yeah." Sam smiled widely, tossing a few skittles into his mouth. He observed as his best friend played with his food-a pet peeve of his and shrugged it off as he thought about the girl he had his eyes on since the night at the beach. "I mean…it was summer and we both sort of talked about how 'this is as far as this goes'. Totally mutual. I was supposed to go off to Kentucky and…"

"You didn't." Artie grumbled.

"Hah! No. You sound almost resentful, Arturo." Sam chuckled and opened up his newest comic, flipping through the pages. "And well, time has passed. I'm still here. McKinley's huge and what were the odds of us finding each other in that glee club?"

Artie scoffed and looked up. "Dude. You know she loves that glee club and that Troubletones group is how she spends her time off so don't like this is brand new."

Sam stopped flipping the pages of his book and looked over to his friend for a moment. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Artie wiped his mouth and pushed his tray in. "I'm done." He grabbed his books and placed them on his lap, turning his chair to leave.

"What the hell?" Sam stood up and walked in front of Artie's chair. "Where are you going?"

"Sam, get out of my way." Artie shifted to pass Sam.

Staring at the empty before him, Sam reacted and turned to follow his friend out of the cafeteria. "Did I say something wrong? How am I supposed to know why you're acting like a douche bag if you don't explain yourself! Artie! I'm talking to you!" He walked after him and picked up his pace as Artie did as well.

Finally stopping and closing his eyes tightly, Artie took a deep breath. "Remember fifth grade? I really, really wanted to join Mac's tree house. It was stupid but I wanted it and I worked hard to get in. I did everything he asked. I passed the famous "Mac Chaney Test of loyalty" and he promised…" Artie exhaled. "Forget it…."

"Are you really dogging on me because Mac Chaney asked me to be a part of the club and not you? Dude, that was years ago and I thought you said you didn't care about Mac and his dumb tree house. That's why we made our gang back in eighth grade. That's why we're mad tight. Me, you, Mike, Puck, Finn, Quinn, and Rachel. We're all good now."

"Jesus." Artie shook his head. "Mac picked you because you're not in a fucking wheel chair. Do I need to spell everything out for you, Sam!?"

Sam stared at his friend quizzically. "Okay. That's bullshit. He thought you were whiny. Which is also bullshit. And I'll take the sass because I know you're upset." He chuckled and playfully hit his friend's arm. "Let's skip the rest of the day. Maybe we can get Quinn to come with us. I think the air in here has got you loopy."

"Nah. I'm good." Artie didn't know how to explain his obvious jealousy. "I thought you wanted to talk to…"

"Mercedes!" Sam perked up and Artie rolled his eyes almost immediately. "Hey. Did you get my text?"

The pretty girl smiled, waving at the two boys and stopping in front of Sam. "Hey, Sam. I did. What did you want to talk to me about? I have a couple of minutes before my next class." She looked over to Artie and winked. "Hey Artie! I loved your presentation on Ebola today. Ever think about getting into public speaking?"

"Well…" Artie's cheeks flushed as he turned on the charm.

"I thought maybe we could go get ice-cream later. The gang's gonna be busy and I'm all alone tonight so…" Sam bit his bottom lip.

"Careful, Sam. Keep talking like that and I'll believe all those stories about your little gang…" Mercedes suddenly only had eyes for Sam as her eyes remained fixated on his mouth. "But sure. Pick me up at eight. If you're late, I'll just have to keep you out longer."

"I might be late."

"I might have hoped for that."

The two went back and forth and Artie cringed. "I'll see ya'll later."

Mercedes giggled and waved at the boy. "I'll see you in Science, Arts! Sit next to me tomorrow. I want to show you the numbers I got. They might be a little different than yours."

"You just want to be close to me." Artie teased, ignoring his best friend.

"You got me!" Mercedes laughed and then looked over to Sam. "See you tonight, Sam. Bye, Artie!" She turned on her heels and walked towards her next class as the two boys admired her figure from behind.

"Damn." Sam muttered before Artie got the chance. He looked over to his friend and smiled. "So, we cutting or what?"

"I'm going to class." Artie said no more and wheeled away, leaving Sam in the middle of the hallway.

"I swear that boy loses his shit every other week."

"Talking about my man?" Quinn flicked Sam in the back of his head and laughed at his discomfort. "What's up with him, anyway?" She watched as Artie disappeared and tried not to frown. She had been spending a lot more one on one time with him lately, telling her overbearing parents Artie was giving her some much needed tutoring. If they had paid an ounce of attention to her, they'd know she didn't need the tutoring. The only extra-curricular activity that interested her existed in Abram's pants. Their afternoons together, while well spent, left her with an ache in her chest she hoped would disappear and when it didn't, she feared what it meant. "Hello? Earth to Sam Evans?"

"Sorry." Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what's wrong with him. Cut class with me?"

"Hell no. I already got detention for setting that piano on fire. Why do you wanna cut? I thought you and Mrs. Hynes were getting it on while she read you Plath." Quinn teased and cackled at her friend.

"Lame. Nah. Don't even play like that. I'm trying to keep my lunch down. I guess I'll cut alone."

"Who's lame now?" Quinn walked to her locker and pulled out her History book. "Listen, I'm meeting Artie later for tutoring but I'm going to be late. Mother decided to take me shoe shopping." She spoke dryly, staring aimlessly into her locker. "It's her peace offering for fucking up my debutante ball."

"I thought you hated those things anyway." Sam leaned against her locker and turned to face her. "But you were a sight in that dress. Artie couldn't keep his eyes off you."

Quinn rolled her eyes and laughed. "You had your chance, Sammy." They constantly went back and forth but it never actually meant anything. Quinn and Sam were always better off as friends. "Mother hates my hair. She's trying to apologize AND get me to change at the same time. I'll never win. But I'll make her work. Do you need anything?" She eyed Sam for a moment. "Like a new shirt? That's not going to work for your date with Mercedes."

"How the hell do you know these things?" Sam looked down at his Glassjaw shirt. "And what's wrong with this?"

"You're picking her up? I'm sure her father would appreciate some bearded lamo showing up in a shirt with the devil on it. Extra brownie points if you keep the lip ring in." she whispered and smiled evilly.

"Fucks sake. Fine. A shirt. One of those fancy ones."

"Don't say I never do anything for you. I'll bring it by after I'm done with Artie. NOT a word." Quinn silenced Sam by placing a finger on his lips. She didn't want to hear him teasing her about her feelings again.

"Thanks. I owe you." he laughed, his eyes narrowing to stare at her finger. He opened his mouth to bite it when she pulled away, rolling her eyes. "Lame." He laughed and followed her. "I'll walk you. Don't let your mother get to you."

"Says the guy who's looking to cut class because…?"

"Nevermind that. I mean it, Quinn." They both remained silent as he walked her to AP History and Sam waved goodbye.

He walked to the exit, dodging the security with a lot on his mind; his date with Mercedes, Quinn's issues with her mom, Artie being moody again and cutting class to sit in the park browsing through . There had to be a job that would hire him. His little brother's life depended on it.


	2. Meet Puck, Finn, and Santana

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this! Let me know what you think in your reviews! I love reading them! **

Reaching for another rock and running farther away, Puck used his good arm and ran circles around Sam. "The crowd goes wild! Strike threeeee! Did you see that? Beiste is crazy to bench me this season."

"You spit in the batter's face, Noah." Sam kept his eyes on his phone as he surfed the web. "Damn, why do you gotta be 18 to work anywhere around here?"

"Because if you're under 18, you're a hoodlum and I already told you, I spit in his face because he was being racist." Puck plopped on the bench, next to his friend and looked over his shoulder. "How much does Stevie need?"

"800. That's just for medicine. I'm not even counting transfusions and surgeries and whatnot. My mom already gets a good amount off for working at the hospital but it's still not enough. Dad's job at Walsmart isn't really optimal either."

"Why don't you ask Quinn or Rachel to help? Hell, even Mike could come through." Puck grabbed the phone from his friend and searched for him.

With a defeated sigh, Sam threw his head back and stared at the clouds. "I'm not telling any of them. I already told you. Finn's already pissed about the whole Mercedes thing so he's got leverage with Rachel and I really don't need anyone else in the gang finding out. It's cool."

Puck looked over to his friend; an eyebrow arched and poked his side. "Are you kidding me? Hudson is still being a pussy about this whole thing? Him and Cedes dated for like three weeks. He's thinking about having Broadway babies with Rache and he's still getting on your case? Mercedes is no one's property anyway. He can kiss your pasty white ass."

Sam laughed and ran a hand over his face. "Oh, man." He stared blankly at the sky and then turned to face his friend. "Finn's just mad because he thinks everything is owed to him. He's the quarterback; the world owes him for bringing us home. He's the most charming out of all of us; the world owes him for being perfect."

"Now that sounds like jealousy." Puck remained silent knowing that instigating within the gang was a big no.

"Nah. It's accurate and you know it. I know it, Artie knows it, you obviously know it but we're too busy following the leader."

"Maaaan, Finn's been out of the gang for months it seems. Even Rachel's been MIA with her NYADA nonsense. Too good for us, I guess. I need a smoke." Puck stood up and searched his pockets, retrieving a box of Marlboro's and offering one to Sam.

"Nah. I have a date. Mercedes smells it a mile away."

"I can't believe you're dating a Troubletone." Puck spoke with the cigarette between his teeth. "They're trouble. No pun intended." He laughed at his own statement and lit the cigarette carefully. Taking a drag and looking on, he smacked his friend lightly on the arm. "Just be careful."

Sam couldn't help but guffaw at Puck's little moment. "Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure, I've got this. I'm not gonna let some girl mess me up. That Santana girl is something, huh?"

"Yeah, man. Whatever. I was just some game to her. Wouldn't be the only one, though. Definitely not the last, bro." He wiped his hands on his jeans and grabbed his book bag. "It's been real. I've gotta meet up with Corcoran. She needs a tune up, if you know what I mean." Puck winked at his friend and Sam chuckled.

Sam felt bad not saying much else to Puck after his statement but he knew withholding feelings was something they were good at. It was why they worked well as friends. If he wanted emotions, he'd call Artie. If he wanted a lazy afternoon, he'd call Puck. "Yeah. Catch you at the garage this weekend. Sam watched as Puck made his way out of the park and zipped up his hoodie, waiting for Quinn's phone call.

He had to be careful to walk on smooth concrete. The rocks were starting to prick the sole of his feet and Puck wanted to scream each time he had to stop to tape up the bottom. If he could, he'd help his friend Sam but Sam only gave him so much to work with. It's the way their friendship worked for as long as he could remember and there was no reason to step out of their comfort zone. Sam didn't know for example that Puck's mom was losing the garage-their only source of income or that his sister, Adina had snuck into his bedroom, her eyes red with tears and a positive pregnancy test. He hadn't been able to afford a new pair of sneakers for school and he was now on a mission to find the son of a bitch that knocked up his sister. But no one knew because Puck didn't do feelings and the only two friends he trusted were too busy chasing after their flavor of the week-though Finn's flavor turned out to be a bit more permanent and while best friends shared everything, he didn't think he'd be sharing tastes as well. "Fucking, A"

"That mouth is so dirty. I hope the rest of you is too…" Shelby giggled and Puck almost cringed at her attempt to …do whatever she was trying to do to him. She frowned at his lack of interest and stood at the door. "I don't pay you to look like that."

Puck rolled his eyes and quickly plastered on a fake smile. "Of course not, baby. You know I can be dirty but I want to see what you've got." And he did. He wanted every dollar he could get out of his new client. He closed the door behind him, forgetting for a moment the conversation in the park and the thoughts that came after.

"And why does it matter who I'm going with?" Mercedes shot Finn a smile and smacked his chest with the Math book in question. "Told you…you left it in my house."

Finn grabbed onto the book and looked over Mercedes' shoulder to check the time. "I'm just thinking; what kind of a guy just makes plans with you and doesn't even offer to pick you up?"

"You're assuming he's not picking me up, Finn?"

"Well…"

"No! Hold up. You're assuming he's not picking me up which means you're assuming I'd allow that? But let's just say he wasn't picking me up, why is that all of a sudden "Ohhh poor Mercedes?" I'm independent, Finn. I have been since I was a very little girl. My own dad doesn't even check me like you do so I suggest you back the hell up." She glared at Finn and Finn licked his lips, rolling his eyes briefly.

"I swear, I can't even talk to you without you biting my head off."

"Who asked you to talk to me?" She stared at Finn's brown eyes, the obvious hurt forming quickly and she closed her own. "I'm sorry…I just…why are we even trying this? You're with…what's her name?"

"Rachel." Finn spoke quietly. "I don't know. I don't know why we do this…" he pointed to the both of them. "Whatever this is.

"We're friends, Finn. I told you that. If you can't deal with it…then maybe we shouldn't do this anymore." Mercedes grabbed her book bag out of her locker and walked towards the exit, leaving Finn in the hallway. She reached for her phone and dialed Santana's number, counting to three and letting out a deep breath. "Tell me again why I'm dating a K.I.D.?"

"Technically, you're not dating guppy lips. You're giving him a trial run. Like Netflix. If you don't like it, no commitment." Santana chuckled, her lollipop resting against her cheek. "What happened? Did you run into Noah Whinerman?"

"You're terrible." Mercedes smiled. "Thousands of guys in this school and I pick another K.I.D. I'm a masochist."

"Or you like them baaaddd. Hudson's got you down? Last time I checked, you loved it when he went down." Santana chuckled again and removed the lollipop from her mouth. "What's up?"

"I yelled at Finn. I was so close to … nevermind. I'm gonna call my sponsor." She made it to the front gate and settled on the green bench to wait for her bus. "And then, I'm getting ready for my trial run with Netflix."

"I dare you to call him that." She smirked and gripped her phone. "Cedes? Um…so, call your sponsor and call me when you get home."

"Santana Lopez is worried about little ol me?" Mercedes feigned surprise and smiled softly. "Love you, babe."

"Love you, too." Santana hung up her phone and looked over to Brittany. "We need to get Hudson off her ass."

"Whatever you say, babe." Brittany raised her eyebrows and smirked.

Mercedes stared at Sam's name for a good minute before she pressed "dial" and was relieved to hear his voice.

"I didn't expect to hear from you until later…" Sam bit his bottom lip and smiled. "How are you?"

She paused a moment and shook her nerves. "I'm…can we skip the ice cream?"

"Oh…" Sam hoped this wouldn't happen.

"I mean…" Mercedes giggled. "You sound so disappointed! I just wanted to hang out..alone. In Private. If that's okay?"

"Alone, in Private is totally okay."

"Okay." She couldn't help but smile and smoothed out her skirt coyly as if Sam could see her. "How was school today?"

"It was good. Science was my favorite. Learned about red40 and the effects it has on youth. I think I know why I'm so hyper." He laughed softly. Over time, Sam had become a good bullshitter.

"Interesting. So…you're taking Chemistry?"

"AP."

"Ah." Mercedes smirked. "So you have Mr. Bolan?"

"He's the worst" Sam lied, never actually having stepped into his senior science class.

"Well, we just have this year and we'll be good." She noticed her bus approaching and stood up. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you do that impression again? Sean Connery?" She showed the driver her pass and took her seat, eagerly waiting.

Sam's smile widened, thinking no one actually _liked_ his impressions closed his eyes. "Okay. Okay…." He chuckled, squinting and looking out to the distance. "Mercedes, Love may not make the world go round…but I must admit it makes the ride worthwhile"

Mercedes giggled, clapping on the bus and ignoring the stares she was getting. "You're so good at that."

"Stop that." He laughed and kicked around a few rocks. "So, tonight…you and I, private time."

"Can't wait."

"Me neither."


	3. Meet Mercedes, Kurt, and Rachel

_**A/N: Hey all! Thank you for the support! I'm loving the reviews! They give me life! **_

Mercedes stared at her reflection, looking past her figure and at the bottle of Red Stag sitting atop of the mantle in the living room. Bourbon was always her poison. Her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt and though she tried to rip her concentration away from the whiskey, she couldn't.

"You'll hate yourself in the end." Kurt watched her, one leg crossed over the other and a stern look across his face. He watched as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. "Darling….Come here." He extended his arms and waited for her to approach him. When she did, his eyebrows furrowed as she buried her face into his neck to silently weep. Bringing his hand to massage the back of her head, Kurt looked forward at the reflection of the two them. "Mercedes…umm…"

"I'm sorry." She pulled away only slightly, feeling safe in Kurt's arms. Mercedes wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You're really the only one that understands." She whispered. "The only one."

Kurt felt her pain as if it were his own and swiped his thumb underneath her eyes. "Mercedes…" he began with a tone he only reserved for her. "You can do this. That bottle isn't your master." He grabbed onto her face gently, his thumbs caressing the apple of his cheeks and leaned in to peck her forehead-something he never did with the people he sponsored. "I came as quickly as I could. I don't usually do-"

"House calls? I know. I'm sorry, Kurt. I called Santana and she's really good at helping but she has one approach you know? Let's kick Finn's ass! And honestly, I'm in no mood for that. I was so angry and it wasn't just because he was egging me on about this date. I just…I've been sober for four months. Four months! I think it's getting to me! And Finn sort of reminds of me of all those times we…."

"Mercedes. Finn is not the person that should be in your life and him giving you a hard time about dating other guys just shows he's not ready to be your friend. He's my half-brother and all but I think you two need some serious time apart." He hugged the girl that he now labeled as his best friend and pulled away to offer her a small smile. "You can do this, Mercedes. I know it. How's that urge now?"

Mercedes took Kurt's slender hand in hers and returned the smile. "Almost gone."

"Good. Let's get you ready for that date."

Rachel rummaged through Kurt's things frantically, not hearing Finn approaching the bedroom door.

"What are you doing in here?" Finn questioned his girlfriend, noticing the item in her hands. "What the hell?" he walked towards her and snatched his brother's property. "This room is off limits!"

"Oh come on! He's your brother! Nothing is off limits!"

"Say the girl who has no siblings! You don' t know how this works. Kurt and I barely speak anymore and we're trying not to get under our parent's skin. The easier and smoother things run for my parents…"

"The easier it is for Kurt's dad to make it into office and the easier it is for Mr. Jones to be his right hand man. The easier for Mercedes to be closer to you and this family! The easier for you to push me away! The easier for YOU!" Rachel yelled at the taller boy before her and Finn rolled his eyes, recognizing the tone and the argument. They've done this now more than he'd like to admit.

"Jesus, Rachel. For once, can you NOT make this about Mercedes?"

"Oh? That's rich! Sure, Finn. When YOU stop making this about Mercedes, I'll gladly oblige." She stared at his hands and folded her arms across her chest. "Give me the paper, Finn."

"NO!" Finn folded the piece of paper and placed it back into Kurt's Sondheim folder. "Let's go." He took her hand and Rachel pulled back. "Stop being dramatic!"

"Stop being an asshole!" She marched out of Kurt's bedroom and down the stairs of the Hummel-Hudson home. "God, this place was tolerable when Sam lived here. At least you were! What happened to you two anyway?" Rachel asked, turning to face Finn and standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her tone was wicked and pressing. She knew how to get under Finn's skin like no other.

Gritting his teeth and walking slowly down the stairs, Finn ignored the question and walked past Rachel and towards the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and peeked his head in. "What do you want to drink?"

Reluctantly, Rachel followed the boy and slumped into the breakfast bar bench. "Wine. Something good. None of that weak shit Sam likes to bring around."

Twice now, Rachel had said his name and Finn was ready to burst. "We don't have wine in this house anymore. You know that. Kurt's been sober for two years and…"

"Oh. Right, right. Where are my manners? The prodigal son! Does it suck being the black sheep of the family, Finn?"

"I don't know." Finn pulled out a root beer for himself and a diet soda for Rachel. "But maybe you can tell me all about what it's like." He grinned and sat across from her. He knew he was being an ass but he also knew she sort of enjoyed that and it made their relationship strange yet endearing.

Rachel grabbed the soda and glared at her boyfriend. This was the most civil they had been in days and she appreciated it. "My fathers just don't appreciate my talent." She shrugged and looked over to Finn. "They'll never understand."

"Right. And we're just trying to make Kurt's life easier here. And yes, the election is important to me but that's only because it's important to Burt. I sort of owe him smooth sailing from here. Bailing me out jail and using his pull to avoid a felony charge is sort of a big deal."

"Do you ever get tired of it, Finn? I mean, being a K.I.D.? I'm so over it. Just let Sam take over."

And then she ruined it. Finn looked up from his drink and cocked his head. "What?"

"I mean, he loves the group and…"

"If anyone gets to take over it's Artie and you know it. Don't go turning this into some aww poor Sammy shit!"

"Finn! I wasn't trying to…"

"Like I don't remember that kiss at junior prom."

Rachel scoffed and laughed. "Last year? You and I were barely a thing! Puck and I just broke up and Sam and I were testing the waters. It was like kissing a brother!"

"No one is taking over the gang. You got it? And as long as you're still allowed in this house, I suggest you play by Burt's rules and that includes no snooping in Kurt's room. Understood?"

"You act like us getting caught in your mom's room was such a big deal!" She rolled her eyes. "You and Kurt almost kille—"

"Don't finish that, Rachel. I'm having a hard time liking you right now. Don't finish that sentence. It's Burt's rules or nothing."

Rachel smirked and stood up to lean in over the table, her skirt hiking up. "I just need Kurt's song choices for NYADA…you know that it's me or him. One person from Ohio gets in. You know I'm better._ I'm_ not the felon here…."

And with that, Finn stood up and opened the back door in his kitchen. "Talk to you later, Rachel."

"So touchy…" Rachel stood up and left, proud of herself for messing with Finn's head. She kissed the corner of his lips and made her way out the door. Not looking back, she browsed through her phone, noticing a missed call from her dad.

**_"_****_Rachel? Honey? It's dad. We just got your progress report. Actually, your father found it underneath your mattress….underneath your porn stash. We have a lot to talk about. We expect you home in ten minutes or your BMW will not leave that garage until you've graduated from NYADA. Is that understood?" _**

Closing her eyes and letting out a huff, she climbed into her car and stepped on her gas, doing 70 on her way home. She let out a maniacal laugh and gripped her steering wheel.

"Green?!" Sam frowned in front of the mirror and Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Chartreuse, actually and the shirt matches your eyes. Mercedes will swoon. Am I right, Stace?"

Stacey watched her brother from the living room floor. Her elbows propping her up. "Meh. You can still see his face!" She giggled.

Quinn laughed and looked over to Sam again. "That wasn't my fault. Grease was on demand." She sneaked a wink to the young girl. "Okay, let's see it. Turn around, Cass."

Sam cringed at the nickname and admired the button down shirt Quinn had gotten him on her pity retail therapy with her mother. "Did your mom really pick this one out?" he turned slowly as the two girls clapped in approval.

"Yep. And my work here is done." Quinn jumped off the edge of the crowd and opened her purse, pulling out a fifty dollar bill. "Get the best ice-cream in town."

"Gelato! Get her gelato! It's more romantic!" Stacey beamed.

"She knows her stuff." Quinn laughed and held the bill out to Sam.

Sam, as always, lovingly pushed Quinn's hand away, placing his larger hand over hers. "No money, Quinn."

"I owe you!"

"Oh yeah?" he asked as he fixed his collar. "For?"

"You convinced Artie to ask me to that stupid homecoming dance. Her grin was from ear to ear and Sam smiled even wider, happy that his friend finally listened to him.

"Oh! That's great! That idiot! I'm glad!"

"Hey! That's my future hubbie." Quinn blushed and looked away the moment she felt the warmth in her cheeks. "Anyway, take the money. Please. Stacey! Tell him to take it!"

"Do it or I'll tell mom you slept on the roof that one time you were so drunk that…"

"Okay! Okay!" Sam laughed. "Jesus, you know way too much, little girl. Off to bed, mom should be here soon and dad said he was on his way back. Q? You sure you can watch her until they get back here?"

"There's no other place I'd rather be. Stacey and I are going to talk about boys and be obnoxious."

"No boys!" Sam took the bill from Quinn and mouthed the words "Thank you." He grabbed a light jacket and climbed into his father's truck. The fall breeze was perfect for the two to sit in the back and Sam felt more confident about this date that wasn't actually a date but was a date. He laughed to himself and started his engine, waving at his sister and the girl that might as well be his sister. Stopping at red light, Sam heard a loud beep that overpowered the double bass from his radio. He lowered his window and smirked upon seeing Rachel Berry. "Hey. Where you off to, Mac 5?"

"Going home to get yelled at for not being perfect!" She laughed and revved her engine. "I'll race you to the next light!"

It was tempting but Sam needed to save his gas. "Not tonight!" He yelled over the music. "I need the gas! Big date!"

"Oh yeah!?" Rachel smiled and looked over to the light to make sure she didn't miss it. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"The troubletone! Mercedes. Mercedes Jones! This is my left! We'll talk on Monday!" He turned, leaving Rachel behind, with her words in her throat.

Somehow, Mercedes Jones always found a way into her world.

Sam parked in front of the home, checking his phone to make sure he had the right place. Releasing a low whistle, he nervously carded a hand through his blonde locks and pulled out of the car. Puck was right. Mercedes Jones was loaded. He approached her porch and tried to look into her windows when someone ran to the door.

"Sam Evans." The boy smiled cockily and crossed his arms. "Mr. Jones!" Kurt yelled out and Mercedes' father walked towards the door. Kurt smiled and winked at Sam, walking away.

"Mr. Jones…I…hello." Sam held his hand out and politely smiled.

"_Dr_. Jones. Come in, Sam. We have a lot to discuss." He opened the door to his home and Sam swallowed hard. Not even his Chartreuse shirt would save him tonight.


End file.
